Summary of ATP world tour events (2012)

The 2012 Atp season can be described as one of the most thrilling seasons in the history of the ATP. This season was one of the few where anything was expected to happen. As a fan of the tour, one would have expected the restart of the rivalry between Djokovic (who was outstanding in 2011) and Nadal who was likely to seek some revenge against the Serbian. With Roger Federer fighting to remain in the picture and Andy Murray still struggling to match up against the top three seeds, no one could have predicted the outcome of this season..

The top 4 seeds

Novak Djokovic

2011 proved to be an amazing year for the young Serb and he sought to carry the momentum into a new year. After enduring one of the longest grand slam finals of all time, he claimed his first major of the year. The French clays at Roland Garros however did not favour Novak as Nadal swept past him to win a record breaking 7^th title. With Federer Building enough steam to win at Wimbledon and regain number 1 ranking in the world, Djokovic was left with the option of redefining his game or fading into the background. Nole however, managed to win  the end of year ATP tournament to regain the top spot in tennis.

Roger Federer

The year begun somewhat slowly for Federer who was suffered an injury scare. Making it to the finals either the Australian Open or French Open seemed almost impossible as both Djokovic and Nadal were on top form. When Wimbledon finally arrived however, Federer was back to his winning ways and managed to overcome Djokovic in the semis and Murray in the finals. The Swiss maestro shot back to world number one and a record setting 17 Grand Slam titles.


Rafael Nadal
After suffering at the hands of Novak Djokovic throughout the 2011 season, most “Rafans”(a nickname for Rafael Nadal fans) expected a huge comeback from the king of clay this season. All seemed to be going well as Rafa managed to win a routine Roland Garros final against Novak and was looking to send that confidence unto the grass at the All-England tennis court. This dream was short lived when the Spaniard suffered an unbelievable loss to Lukas Rosol in the second round of the championships. His season ended with that loss and a knee injury scare which cost him the almost 6 months off the tour.

Andy Murray
“Finally people can stop asking me that stupid question!” This statement from Murray summed up his year, and ended the long 76 year wait for a Grand Slam trophy. Defeat to Federer on home soils this year was treated differently by the Brit and we saw an even more determined Murray. He return to centre court at Wimbledon to win gold in the Olympics and in similar fashion, the US Open against his good friend, Novak Djokovic.

Tennis Drills you might have taken lightly- exercise your wrist and forearm

For sports like tennis where the wrist of the player is constantly used, it becomes important that the wrist and for that matter, the entire arm be strengthened. One sure result you can achieve by increasing the strength in your wrist is an increase in power of your forehand shots. A stronger wrist will also give you the necessary control needed when returning fast paced balls.
It is unfortunate that although this remains one of the greatest contributing factors to a player’s game, it is not discussed even by most experts as much as other parts of the sport. For this reason we have taken the responsibility of tackling a few of the techniques by which you can do this. You are however advised to do these exercises within the limits your body allows. If you have any qualms concerning these exercises, consult your physician.

Exercise #1-   5 balls, 15 balls, 20 balls
This is one of the simplest drills you can indulge in to increase the strength in both your wrist and forearm.

What you need; A squash wall, tennis balls and tennis racket

How it’s done; You start by playing a single tennis ball to hit the squash wall. Let the ball bounce once then hit it again against the wall. Try repeating this for 5 hits against the wall before you quit. Next, you try doing this for 15 hits against the wall. You gradually increase the number of times you want to return the ball till you feel you’ve had enough of the drill. This simple drill helps most beginners to improve their timing and concentration as well. This is one drill that even club level players can use to increase the length of their rallies and their stamina.

Exercise #2- Bouncing along the path
This is a drill that is pretty new but produces the effect you seek. It reminds me of the good old saying, “No pain, no gain”.

What you need; The rectangle of the doubles court, Racket, tennis balls

How it is done; You begin on the baseline and with your racket, bounce the tennis ball as you walk. Try to keep the ball within the confines of the extension of the double’s court. Also, try to keep your racket from moving too much. Rather, what you want to do is to make the racket control the bounce of the ball so you can walk without stopping from the baseline towards the net. The process is repeated in the opposite direction. You may perform this drill as many times as you are physically capable. An additional advantage of this drill is that it improves the eye and ball coordination of the player.

Exercise #3- Wrist curls with barbells
This final drill is centered mainly on increasing your forearm strength. I watched this video and knew it had the perfect description of the drill so I have chosen to embed the video below.
What you need; Barbells, workout bench
How it is done; Watch video

If you found this topic interesting, you might also want to read my article on; TIMING THE BALL IN TENNIS. All your questions and queries are humbly welcome. Subscribe to receive all our upcoming updates on how to improve your tennis. Have a great day.

The Art of The Forehand Part I

 Today's video is pretty self explanatory. I will definitely write a follow up article but try to understand the basic concepts discussed here. I know you will enjoy this one. If you have any problem understanding anything in this video, do well to leave a comment or send me an email (my address is below).Cheers!

My interview with Nam Nha Tho- Learn the basics

                         

Nam Nha Tho- Cathay Pacific Championships Slideshow: Tennismania’s trip from Accra, Ghana to Vietnam was created by TripAdvisor. See another Vietnam slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

If you’re a beginner looking for inspiration and a way to boost your tennis, this interview will certainly provide you with the key elements you require to get as good as you can be.
Here’s an interview granted by Nam Nha Tho, a promising contestant at the Cathay Pacific nationwide tournament that took place in Vietnam. He has played in quite a number of minor competitions over the past 3 years and hopes to continue playing in more tournaments in the future. He is a friend but most importantly, a good example of a knowledgeable tennis player willing to share his experiences with other upcoming tennis players. I believe you’ll enjoy the insights he shares with us today as you read along.

Q;  How long have you been playing tennis?

A; I've been playing for only 3 years, starting at the age of 12. My first tournament was the one I played last year and also the one in which I recorded my best performance that was, coming 6th citywide.


Q; What have been your major challenges during these three years of tennis?

A;   I’ve had many challenges. Arranging time for both school and tennis is perhaps the one of the most challenging things so far. Once you've been able to arrange time for these on your schedule, you also need to recover quickly from your training sessions fast enough to prepare for school. So for people who start playing tennis very early and want to take it up seriously, it is advisable to home school so that they can concentrate on their tennis.
There's another challenging issue which is the challenge of finding a good partner. Of course, when you're in the city team already, you have many players to play with, but if you're non-professional, it's usually hard to find a good partner to train with you.

Q; So do you have an official coach then?

A; Generally speaking, yes. As I earlier on said, I'm non-professional so I hire a coach who trains many other players, amateurs as well. He used to be a pro tennis player himself, so he understands my game. He and I combine all the drills we know into our training, but during the school year I don't practice with him regularly. We practice just about 1 or 2 hours a week only. I spend the rest of the time playing with friends.

Q; Do your friends also play in competitive tournaments with you?
What have been your best moments in the game so far?
And what keeps you motivated to play further?

A; Yes actually, there are 3 friends, including 2 junior pros, whom I play in tournaments. Besides this, I don't play with them a lot. My other friends are older, some are even adults, but I improve my game by just playing matches.
To your second question, the best moment of the game is of course, winning matches. My first competitive match ever was a win, and the feeling was ever-lasting with my fighting to come back after a rain delay.
Both wins and defeats keep you motivated. Obvious improvements in mental and technique encourage you too. Most of all, you need to have a passion. Enjoy the sport and you'll keep the fire burning.

Q; So which kind of drills do you perform with your coach to improve your mental techniques for these tournaments?

A; I read many articles on this so I know a lot. Mostly, I do drills which improve my techniques. About mental training, I'd suggest playing matches, or making practice as real as possible. Playing matches don't help you improve you weaknesses much, so playing points would be more advisable if you want to improve both techniques and mentality at a same time. Play as many tournaments as you can also.

Q;So what would you have to say to beginner tennis players out there who want to improve their play

A; Most importantly, find yourself a good partner. Practicing with coaches can be helpful, but a partner who plays better than you will help you improve a lot. Play matches with him/her, and soon you'll find yourself fit for faster paced matches.
At that stage, reduce the number of matches you play, but, practice more to consolidate and improve your play. However, even Federer is ranked no 3 now. At all events, find yourself a better partner, as you can always improve no matter how good you are already.

Nam Nha Tho at the Cathay Pacific tournament

Q; How would you describe your style of play?
    Who is your favorite player and what should we expect to see from Nam Nha Tho in the next few years?

A; I'm a rather offensive player as I take after my idol Federer. I watch him play a lot so I try to be dominant like him on court, and that normally works.
I'm training hard every day for all tournaments down the road. I'm getting into the school team and hope to play tournaments for students only, avoiding all the junior professional tournaments. I know by myself that I started tennis rather late, so the chances of being a good pro are quite small, but if any chances come, I will welcome it!

Thanks very much for having this interview. It's been a pleasure having you and we hope your words encourage other players in their quests.

Sure thanks I had a great time. It'd be lovely to talk to you again in the near future!

         
              For tips on how to achieve some of the successes achieved by Nam Nha Tho you can view my article Amazing: 4 simple steps to help you start playing tennis

Simple ; 3 effective steps to improve your tennis (the essence of practice)

  Hey guys, so I watched this short but inspiring video made a mentor and friend,  at Performance Corps which touches on a how practice has aided people like you to become superstars at what they do. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this, you may want to also check out the article Simple; 3 effective steps to improve your tennis.

3 effective steps to build confidence in a game

Tennis was never work for me, tennis was fun. And the tougher the battle and the longer the match, the more fun I had -Jimmy Connors

       So, how was that first game? Hope you learned some valuable lessons when you played. Today we're going to look at some 3 ways of building your confidence during a game.

I know a lot of you might be thinking, how important is this to me? Can confidence in a match make a huge difference? Well, the great thing is, by the end of this session, you'd have realized not only the importance of building confidence, but we're also going to teach you how to use your newly found confidence in winning a match.

            "As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -- that is the myth of the atomic age -- as in being able to remake ourselves."- Mohandas K. Gandhi

1.The first thing we're going to be looking at is identifying the problem. Let's say in the middle of a match, you realize that you are not achieving the goals you set. How do you react to this? Ask yourself these questions. Are you over thinking your moves? Might you have underestimated your opponent? Or could you just be magnifying your errors? Whatever the problem, the key here is to identify it. It would be best to identify the problem before a game ends. This way, you can take some time to resolve the issue. Most people do not take their time in identifying what exactly the problem is so they continue to be frustrated as they play the match. Your ability to identify a said problem about your way of play, can be a  huge confidence boosting factor especially, when you look at it from a positive perspective. You will understand this better as you read on. 

2. As the old tennis saying goes, "You can only achieve if you believe." So the second step to this procedure is going to be, visualizing your success. Though simple, note that this is a very important step.

Visualize previous performance, to remind you of your capabilities and how you felt during that match.

Also, you may want to imagine the various scenarios that could occur, and how you would attempt dealing with each one of them. Finally, set a goal that is achievable yet, challenging and again, visualize how you'd feel if you succeed.

3. Now, get back in the match and achieve these goals. Remember, the most important thing is not to win but rather, to play your best out there. Majority of tennis coaches would prefer seeing their students go all out and play their best than use the wrong techniques and win a match.Again here, you should constantly feed yourself with positive talk. It comes across as something most people find difficult doing especially when they get caught up in a really tense match, but, if you're going to comeback, you need to know how to think and talk positive when things are not going exactly as planned. Note that, using wrong techniques can sometimes result in injury (you can read more on some of these wrong techniques and the injuries you are likely to suffer when you log on to my blog later on. Subscribe to receive free notifications on this). Finally, when you step on the court, relax, take your time, play well and be confident! So, there it is folks. I hope enjoyed reading these helpful tips. Leave a comment below or check out what else I've been up to here. You can also check out part 2 of this article. Have a good game!

Also for your reading; The giant move (Stepping on the court for the first time)